Cablegate: French Media Reaction: Montreal Climate Conference

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 008576

SIPDIS

REFTEL: Paris 8016

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SENV ENRG KPAO FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH MEDIA REACTION: MONTREAL CLIMATE CONFERENCE

1. Summary. During the run-up to the eleventh Conference of the
Parties under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in
Montreal November 28-December 9, the French press relentlessly
criticized the U.S. and highlighted the "intransigent" attitude
of the "world's largest polluter." Commentary in the media tended
to be dismissive of the U.S. commitment to combat climate change,
noting technological investments are not enough. Instead, the
Kyoto Protocol with its binding emission reductions was praised
and the U.S. was singled out for refusing to ratify it. The Bush
administration was portrayed as being out of touch with an
American public that is increasingly aware of the consequences of
climate change. Environment persists as one of the perennial
issues sparking anti-American criticism in French media reports
and editorial commentary. As Paris continues our efforts to tell
the U.S. side of the story to a audience, we also ask for
Washington's assistance with providing high-level spokespeople
willing to engage French media, whether in person or via DVC. End
summary.

Multi-pronged Outreach Effort

2. The French tend to see Kyoto as the litmus test of climate
change sincerity, and therefore the press rarely focuses on U.S.
efforts to fight climate change. Embassy Paris has been working
to explain American policy and to highlight our achievements. The
EST section has developed a French-language power point
presentation on U.S. climate change actions, and EST staff has
been programmed by PA for presentations to various groups around
the country, including to the leading journalism school in
France. The Public Affairs Section, in cooperation with EST
colleagues, wrote an op-ed for Ambassador Stapleton's signature
and placed it in one in the nation's premiere business dailies
this fall. Public Affairs staff has also recently responded to a
national petition drive (some 15,000 signatures) urging the U.S.
to ratify Kyoto and met with the organizing group's leadership.
Additionally, the Information Resource Center distributed the
Department's comprehensive "Energy Needs, Clean Development and
Climate Change" publication to a targeted group of contacts,
including environmental journalists.

November 28-29 Media Summary:

3. In the run-up to the meeting, the dailies reported the talks
were going to be "tough" (economic Les Echos on November 28) and
"stormy" (business-oriented La Tribune on November 28) with
"Europe and the U.S. heating up over the climate" (free daily 20
Minutes on November 28). 20 Minutes was hopeful that the U.S.
would "use this summit as an opportunity to come back into the
Kyoto process. and get a fresh start on the issue of climate
change in cooperation with the Protocol's signatory countries."
La Tribune for its part lamented: "in light of the U.S.'s
position as regards the Kyoto Protocol, a clash with the other
participants at the Montreal Summit appears to be inevitable."
Media also insisted on America's "isolation" and the difficult
task of convincing the U.S. to make any commitments to reducing
CO2 emissions (mid-day news on state-run France 2 on November
28). Coverage of the conference was sparse during negotiations,
but one economic daily said: "by refusing any compromise, the
U.S. is driving the Montreal conference to chaos but for some,
however, all hope is not yet lost." (La Tribune on December 8).
As the COP 11 was winding down most outlets showed guarded
enthusiasm with headlines such as: "Kyoto Gets a Second Wind"
(regional daily Le Telegramme 12/11), "A Ray of Hope in Montreal"
(regional daily La Charente Libre 12/12), "A Breath of Air for
the Kyoto Protocol" (Communist l'Humanite 12/12).

4. Editorial commentary immediately prior to and on the first
days of the conference focused on the key points subject to
negotiation in Montreal with an emphasis on the question of what
to do after Kyoto? Left-of-center Le Monde on November 29
headlined: "Worldwide Alert on the Climate at the Conference in
Montreal." Environment journalist for the daily Herve Kempf stood
out from his peers for observantly writing: "The U.S. uses the
argument that the Kyoto Protocol imposes no obligations on
developing countries such as China or India to curb CO2 emissions
despite the fact that these countries are leading economic powers
in order to justify its position . the fact is that this is a
true statement and something that must be dealt with."

5. Some dailies highlighted the American public's heightened
awareness of climate change phenomena since hurricane Katrina.
This awareness, commentators noted, has led to a growing rift
between American public opinion and the administration's
position. Le Figaro said that sadly: "hurricane Katrina is the
best lobbyist the Kyoto Protocol has ever had" (December 10).

6. State or regional, as opposed to federal, initiatives to deal
with climate change, for example, the Northeast Climate Action
Plan, were outlined in dailies such as Le Figaro, Liberation and
Le Monde. Le Figaro's Caroline de Malet on November 28 wrote that
these programs to limit greenhouse gas emissions at the state
level reveal "George W. Bush's isolation with regard to the rank
and file." Catholic La Croix on November 29 noted that while the
"expectation for the conference is that the American
administration. will attempt to block any progress within the
framework of Kyoto, some progress has occurred in the U.S. Many
states have taken it upon themselves to reduce their emissions."
Following the conference, dailies such as regional La Charente
Libre reported that 70% of Americans are concerned by climate
change and wondered whether "George W. Bush is the only American
left who is not?" (December 12)

7. On November 29, business-oriented daily La Tribune's
editorialist Pascal Aubert asked whether the best approach to
fighting global warming is to "constrain or convince?" He went on
to say: "The international community remains divided on global
warming and will be hard pressed to stand united in Montreal. The
limitations of voluntary emissions reduction have become
apparent. and it is illusory to believe, like the U.S. does, that
technological progress is enough to curb climate change."

December 8-13 Media Summary:
8. Editorial commentary during the conference itself was rare
with dailies preferring to bring up related issues to the summit
such as the Inuit organization that filed a law suit against the
U.S. for not doing enough to fight the thawing of the Arctic
icecaps.

9. Post-conference commentary gave the overall summit results
some praise, but charged that the American "administration
continues to play the role of the bad boy in climate change
negotiations" (Le Monde on December 12). For regional daily Le
Telegramme the "real `bad guys' at this conference were not the
Americans but the Russians who unsuspectingly blocked all
negotiations at the last minute." "A great step for humanity and
a small hop for the U.S" wrote Bruno Cot in weekly center-right
news magazine l'Express on December 15. "The U.S., which remains
the world's foremost polluter, has agreed to sign a text on the
condition that it does not commit it to anything." Most dailies
agreed that the adoption of the Clean Development Mechanism
represents "a huge step forward in the fight against global
warming" (business-oriented La Tribune on December 12).

10. Dailies and weeklies noted the speech by former president
Bill Clinton toward the close of the conference that further
"annoyed and isolated George W. Bush's administration" (Le Figaro
on December 12). Regional daily La Charente Libre on December 12
editorialized: "Bill Clinton is light years from George Bush who
looks out for the interests of his friends in the oil business.
The political and popular success that Bill Clinton had in
Montreal doubtless led the U.S. to adopt a low profile."

11. Comment: Overall, commentary before and after the Montreal
conference jibes with the official GOF position as set out in
reftel. Public Affairs regretted it was not possible to organize
a digital video conference with chief U.S. climate negotiator
Harlan Watson (similar to the DVC set up last year prior to COP
10). Several French environmental journalists had queried the
Embassy regarding the U.S. position going into the COP and we
relayed that request, more than once, to the Department. In the
lead up to future climate change meetings, we recommend the
Department make it a priority to make U.S. officials available
for press opportunities to explain U.S. policies and actions on
climate change. There is, for example, another possibility for a
DVC prior to next month's ministerial meeting of the Asia Pacific
Partnership on Clean Energy and the Climate. STAPLETON

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